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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24860257">Lament for Andreth and Aegnor</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/joanofarcstan/pseuds/joanofarcstan'>joanofarcstan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works &amp; Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Dagor Bragollach, Epic Poetry, F/M, Minor canon divergence, Poetry, because it's very sad but then not very, but i do not care, but you could still see it as veyr sad, hmm idk if the timelines work, i have NOT read the athrabeth all the way through, i think andreth dies in fa 455, i will cherry pick and choose my canon, im just rambling now, not really but that's the best i can find?, so hes telling the story but other than that doesn't play a part, so same year as aegnor, well... finrod is the narrator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:20:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24860257</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/joanofarcstan/pseuds/joanofarcstan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>For him there only ever was<br/>One dawn that glowed so gold;<br/>For her there only ever was<br/>One fire that ne'er went cold.</i>
</p><p>Like the title says, a lament for the tragedy of Andreth and Aegnor's love, one that was but could never be. Written in common metre (iambic tetrametre-iambic trimetre), sung by Finrod some time after Dagor Bragollach.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aegnor | Ambaráto/Andreth | Saelind</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lament for Andreth and Aegnor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I finished writing <i>The Song of Finrod</i> and then got hit by Feels(TM) for the Aegnor/Andreth tragedy and decided that I had to write something, despite not having read <i>Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth</i>. So, have a short poem and suffer with me.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Though here at journey's end I lie<br/>
In darkness buried deep,<br/>
Beyond all towers strong and high,<br/>
Beyond all mountains steep,<br/>
Above all shadows rides the Sun<br/>
And Stars for ever dwell:<br/>
I will not say the Day is done,<br/>
Nor bid the Stars farewell.</i>
</p><p><i>—In Western Lands,</i> J. R. R. Tolkien</p><p>________________________________</p><p><b>And Finrod sang:</b><br/>
The leaves have fallen from the trees<br/>
As petals from a rose,<br/>
Sweet Summer’s passed across the Sea,<br/>
And Winter’s shadow grows.<br/>
The hearth of Fall is ashen-cold,<br/>
The flames gone to the West,<br/>
For passed has Aikanáro bold<br/>
Beyond the Sea to rest!</p><p>But love he did, a maiden fair<br/>
Whose face he saw at dawn,<br/>
In water clear, through misty air,<br/>
And sun upon them shone.<br/>
They spoke and laughed as lovers do,<br/>
And stars shone in their eyes;<br/>
The love they did exchange was true—<br/>
But cursed by distant cries.</p><p>For call the horns and bugles did,<br/>
And twang of arrow swift,<br/>
And wartime custom did forbid<br/>
Their union and its gifts.<br/>
So swore he to remain unwed<br/>
Unless the Siege should break,<br/>
And then his mortal maiden said,<br/>
"This oath I too shall take."</p><p>The years went by as streams on stone<br/>
And mist from mountain flowed,<br/>
And Love remained upon its throne<br/>
Inside their hearts and glowed.<br/>
He loved her not for youth or poise<br/>
But wisdom of her heart,<br/>
And him she chose to share her joys<br/>
Tho' they remained apart.</p><p>But then from Angband's gates did come<br/>
Great evil in a flood.<br/>
Bold Aikanáro heard the drum;<br/>
His sword sang sharp for blood.<br/>
The Siege was broken but to bring<br/>
Hellfire to skies above;<br/>
Bold Aikanáro kissed his ring<br/>
And Andreth hers in love.</p><p>Then he arose and went to war<br/>
And never came again<br/>
To see his mourning lady more,<br/>
Their hopes of love in vain.<br/>
The rain did pour on mountains tall,<br/>
But never did he wake<br/>
From endless sleep, for he did fall<br/>
Into the burning lake.</p><p>For her sake he had never wed;<br/>
For his she never would,<br/>
But passed the flowing years instead<br/>
Alone in sombre woods.<br/>
No keepsake did she bear of him<br/>
Except a silver ring,<br/>
Which ever sang a silent hymn<br/>
Of yearning for its twin.</p><p>Ai Aikanáro Fearless-Flame!<br/>
Ai Andreth wise and kind!<br/>
Their star-bright love the Doom did claim<br/>
And both to Death did bind!<br/>
For him there only ever was<br/>
One dawn that glowed so gold;<br/>
For her there only ever was<br/>
One fire that ne'er went cold.</p><p>But golden dawn gave way to night<br/>
And fire to ashes grey;<br/>
The sharp flame fell to Melkor's might<br/>
And dawn did fade away.<br/>
But hope there is beyond these lands<br/>
And years of grief and fear;<br/>
There’s hope that they might join their hands<br/>
Once more by water clear.</p><p>From ashes after Arda's end<br/>
Shall rise a world reborn:<br/>
The flame rekindled with its friend<br/>
The smiling dawn of morn!<br/>
And he shall stand both bright and tall,<br/>
By fire and wrath unmarked;<br/>
And she shall run to him and call,<br/>
Their love from embers sparked.</p><p>Then wreathed in light, they shall exchange<br/>
Their rings of slender gold;<br/>
And never after be estranged<br/>
By wars or feuds of old.<br/>
Bold Aikanáro and his wife,<br/>
Wise Andreth and her lord<br/>
Shall dwell in joy in their next life,<br/>
For such is Love's reward!</p><p>And all ye who have loved and lost,<br/>
Remember: <i>it is worth the cost.</i></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Constructive criticism/other comments are always welcome, or come talk to me on tumblr @<a href="https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/laurierliberal">laurierliberal</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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